Featured Events:
May, on-going
The Big Read on Metro Transit
Look for The Big Read promotional materials on Metro Transit buses, trains, and light rail stations throughout the month of May. Commuters can receive a discount on the novel at the Loft and at Micawbers Bookstore by showing their Metro Transit pass or a recent transfer. Read while you ride, and encourage your fellow passengers to join you! The Loft is happy to arrange special book club discussions for Metro Transit commuters. Please e-mail bus@loft.org for information on commuter book clubs, or call 612-215-2592 and specify that you are interested in one of the commuter book discussion groups.
May-June, on-going
How I First Found Zora
How did you first discover the work of Zora Neale Hurston? Was it through a high school or college literature class? Did a friend recommend her work to you? Did you discover her by reading the work of Alice Walker or other writers? Is The Big Read the first time you have read Zora Neale Hurston’s work? We’d love to know how you first found Zora. Please let us know by sending an e-mail to zora@loft.org. Please mark the subject line “How I First Found Zora.” The first 30 respondents will receive tickets to Jump at de Sun on Saturday, June 3. (Please see below for details.)
May-June, on-going
I Love Myself When I Am Laughing…And Then Again When I Am Looking Mean and Impressive
Alice Walker’s anthology of the work of Zora Neale Hurston takes its title from a note Zora wrote to a photographer. Looking at photographs of herself, she noted “I love myself when I am laughing … and then again when I am looking mean and impressive.” We invite you to study photographs of yourself. Which one or ones appeal to you most? Why? Is it because of the memory of the photograph? Is it because you like the way you are reflected in the camera’s lens? Are you laughing, or are you mean and impressive? E-mail us your short essay along with a copy of the photograph at zora@loft.org with “I Love Myself When” in the subject line.
Tuesday May 2, 6 pm
The Big Read Book Club
Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis
Come discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God with members of the Loft staff and community.
Registration required. Please call 612-21-5-2592.
Thursday, May 4, 11:30 am
The Big Read Book Club
Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis
Come discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God with members of the Loft staff and community.
Registration required. Please call 612-21-5-2592.
Sunday, May 7, 1 pm
The Big Read at the May Day Parade
Bloomington and Lake Street to Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis
The Loft takes The Big Read to In The Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater’s annual May Day Parade. The folktales collected by Zora Neale Hurston in What’s the Hurry Fox? come to life in the forms of giant puppets, masks, and a story cart.
Monday, May 8, 7 pm
The Big Read Speakout: Technology and the Soul
Trinity Lutheran Church, 115 N. 4th Street, Stillwater
In collaboration with Speakeasy magazine and Valley Booksellers, we will lead a discussion on how technology transforms the ways that we read, think and live.
Tuesday, May 9, 5:30 pm
Raking Through Books: The Big Read Edition
Kieran’s Irish Pub, 330 2nd Avenue South, Minneapolis
In partnership with Rake magazine, the University of Minnesota Bookstore, Peace Coffee, and Kieran’s Irish Pub, we present a special Big Read edition of our monthly happy hour book club. Join Hurston scholar Taiyon Coleman and actors T. Mychael Rambo and Sonja Parks for dramatic readings from the novel and a lively discussion.
Wednesday, May 10, 7:30 pm
An Evening with Lucy Anne Hurston and Ananya Dance Theater
Lucy Anne Hurston talks about her aunt and her book Speak, So That You May Speak Again: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston. Ananya Dance Theater, a multigenerational women of color dance company, will perform a short piece inspired by Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Saturday, May 13, 1 pm
The Big Read Book Club
Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis
Come discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God with members of the Loft staff and community. Come early and attend the Loft’s Summer Education Open House, to find more information about our summer classes and workshops –information that can put you on the path to writing the next Big Read novel!
Registration required. Please call 612-215-2592. (Education Open House begins at 9 am; registration is not required for the Open House.)
Sunday, May 14, 11 am
The Big Read Book Club Special Mother’s Day Edition
Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis
In honor of Mother’s Day, we present a special book club for mothers and children to discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God. Mothers and daughters; mothers and sons; grandmothers; stepmothers – all combinations and ages are welcome. (Dads can come too!) Refreshments will be served.
Registration required. Please call 612-215-2592.
Tuesday, May 16, 7 pm
Talking Volumes: The Big Read Special Edition featuring Edwidge Danticat
Fitzgerald Theater, 10 East Exchange Street, Saint Paul
Talking Volumes, the regional book club sponsored by the Loft, Minnesota Public Radio, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune, presents a special Big Read edition featuring Edwidge Danticat, author of several works of fiction including Breath, Eyes, Memory, the June selection of Oprah’s Book Club. A native of Haiti, Ms. Danticat wrote the foreword to the most recent edition of Their Eyes Were Watching God, which Zora Neale Hurston wrote in seven weeks while on a Guggenheim Fellowship to Haiti. Dramatic readings from Their Eyes Were Watching God by T. Mychael Rambo and Sonja Parks and singing by Regina Williams will be featured, along with a conversation between MPR’s Kerri Miller and Edwidge Danticat about Hurston’s work and influence on generations of writers.
For tickets, please call 651-290-1221.
Saturday, May 21, 1 pm
Read, Love, Share: Family Storytelling Day
The Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis
Using Zora Neale Hurston’s folktales as inspiration, families are invited to create their own family tales. Ideal for ages pre-K and up, families will participate in storytelling, writing and theater making with the help of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Silly Sisters.
Tuesday, May 23, 7 pm
Women of the Harlem Renaissance with Dr. Michelle Wright
The Givens Collection of African-American Literature, Andersen Library, University of Minnesota, West Bank, Minneapolis
Dr. Michelle Wright, professor of English at the University of Minnesota, will present a lively discussion of Zora Neale Hurston and other women artists of the Harlem Renaissance. A reception follows.
June, on-going
The Big Read Big Display
Hennepin County Government Center, 300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis
Explore The Big Read, the world of Zora Neale Hurston, and our community partners through a special month-long display in the Hennepin County Government Center’s gallery, located on the lower level.
Thursday, June 1
The Big Read Book Club Special Hurricane Discussion
The Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis
June 1 marks the start of hurricane season in the United States. Using the hurricane scene in Their Eyes Were Watching God, we will lead a discussion of the novel and the impact of last year’s devastating hurricane season on our lives. Handmade books with messages of hope for the people of New Orleans will be available for you to add your thoughts and wishes. These books will be sent to the New Orleans Public Library at the conclusion of The Big Read.
Registration required. Please call 612-215-2592.
Saturday, June 3, 2 pm
Jump at de Sun: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston
Jungle Theater, 2951 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis
Jungle Theater and the Loft present a one-woman play on the life of Zora Neale Hurston starring Regina Williams.
Tickets are limited. For more information, please call 612-215-2571.
Thursday, June 8, 6 pm
The Big Read Book Club
Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis
Come discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God with members of the Loft staff and community.
Registration required. Please call 612-215-2592.
Sunday, June 18, 11 am
The Big Read Book Club Special Father’s Day Discussion
Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis
In honor of Father’s Day, we present a special book club for fathers and children to discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God. Fathers and daughters; fathers and sons; grandfathers; stepdads – all combinations and ages are welcome. (Moms can come too!) Refreshments will be served.
Registration required. Please call 612-215-2592.
Saturday, June 24, 10 am
The Big Read Book Club Special Family Discussion
Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis
We invite families to come together to discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God with members of the Loft staff and community. Childcare will be provided for younger children. Families are invited to stay for storytelling and the Loft’s Summer Youth Education Open House.
Registration required. Please call 612-21-52592.
Saturday, June 24, 11:30 am
Read, Love, Share: Family Storytelling Day
The Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis
It’s a birthday party as the Loft’s Summer Youth Education celebrates its tenth year! Please join us for an afternoon of storytelling featuring the folk tales of Zora Neale Hurston, birthday cake, balloons, and much more. Find out about opportunities for young writers to hone their skills in a variety of classes and workshops.
Wednesday, June 28, 7 pm
The Big Read Speakout: Down in de Muck
The Coffee Hag, 329 North Riverfront, Mankato
In collaboration with Static magazine and our own Speakeasy magazine, we present a discussion of the impact of itinerant farm labor in Minnesota communities.
Thursday, June 29, 4:30 pm
The Big Read Big Thank You
Hennepin County Government Center, 300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis
As our month-long Big Read display in the Hennepin County Government Center’s gallery and our Big Read activities draw to a close, we want to say thank you to all who took part in The Big Read and made it a success.
